Diaspora Arts Connection

What Diaspora Arts Connection does

Diaspora Arts Connection (DAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 2013 and incorporated in California in 2016, operating from Pleasant Hill with programming across the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The organization produces live cultural events and runs support programs for diaspora artists, with a particular focus on female vocalists from regions where women's voices are censored or suppressed (notably Iran, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Vietnam). Its flagship is the annual "Let Her Sing: A Celebration of Female Voices" concert series, a registered trademark celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026, supplemented by the Third Culture Tales storytelling series, the Berkeley Storytelling Festival, film screenings, and panel discussions. The organization operates the Impossible Stage venue in Berkeley and administers the Ahmad Shafaie Artist Support Fund for emerging diaspora artists.

DAC's product portfolio functions as a unified arts-advocacy ecosystem anchored by Let Her Sing and extended into narrative performance and a physical venue, serving three principal constituencies: diaspora artists seeking platforms, Bay Area and broader California audiences seeking cultural programming, and human-rights-aligned supporters. The organization is led by Founder & Executive Director Nazy Kaviani and operates with a small staff supplemented by volunteers.

Revenue is generated through a nonprofit mix of individual donations (one-time and recurring via Donorbox, PayPal, Venmo, and checks), event ticket sales (distributed via City Box Office and venue box offices), and foundation/corporate sponsorships (notably The HAND Foundation as the top Let Her Sing sponsor, SVB Foundation, and Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at SFSU). Distribution relies on premier venue partnerships — Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Freight & Salvage and Impossible Stage in Berkeley, Zipper Hall at the Colburn School and Schoenberg Hall at UCLA in Los Angeles, and California Center for the Arts Escondido in San Diego — co-presentation with community NGOs (Artistic Freedom Initiative, Pars Equality Center, Iranian American Women Foundation, Persian Cultural Center of San Diego), and a multi-channel digital footprint spanning website, newsletter, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube, and earned media in KQED, Mission Local, SF Chronicle Datebook, and press release distribution via Bloomberg/PR Newswire.

Name

Diaspora Arts Connection

Legal name

Diaspora Arts Connection Inc.

Website

https://diasporaartsconnection.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Diaspora Arts Connection is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces live cultural events and artist-support programs for diaspora artists, especially female vocalists facing censorship, across the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Its flagship is the registered Let Her Sing annual concert.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts and Cultural Events

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Cultural & Heritage Entertainment Booking (Traditional/Folk Acts) (HSACAHAG), Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

Keywords

• Performing arts programming
• Cultural event production
• Diaspora artist support
• Live storytelling events
• Nonprofit arts organization

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from individual supporters, including one-time and recurring contributions via PayPal, Donorbox, Venmo, and checks. The organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
2. Event Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to performances and events including Let Her Sing concerts, film screenings, storytelling events, and other cultural programming.
3. Sponsorships and Grants: Financial support from foundations and corporate sponsors including The HAND Foundation, SVB Foundation, Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at SFSU, and individual sponsors for specific programs and events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Diaspora Arts Connection (DAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces and presents live cultural performances, concerts, and storytelling events on behalf of diaspora and immigrant artists whose right to artistic expression is restricted in their countries of origin. Its flagship offering is the annual Let Her Sing: A Celebration of Female Voices concert series, supported by complementary programs including Third Culture Tales, the Berkeley Storytelling Festival, the Impossible Stage venue, and the Ahmad Shafaie Artist Support Fund.

Product overview

Diaspora Arts Connection (DAC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization that operates as a platform for diaspora artists, offering live performances, storytelling events, and artist support programs. The core flagship program is the annual 'Let Her Sing: A Celebration of Female Voices' concert series celebrating women vocalists from diasporic and underrepresented communities. Supporting programs include 'Third Culture Tales' (a live storytelling series exploring migration, identity, and belonging), the Berkeley Storytelling Festival (an annual festival combining storytelling workshops and performances), and the Impossible Stage venue in Berkeley. DAC also organizes diverse cultural events including film screenings, art exhibitions, concerts, and fundraisers, while providing volunteer opportunities and the Ahmad Shafaie Artist Support Fund for emerging artists. The portfolio functions as a unified arts advocacy ecosystem — the Let Her Sing series serves as the anchor annual performance event, Third Culture Tales extends the mission into narrative storytelling, the Berkeley Storytelling Festival formalizes these into a structured multi-day festival, and the Impossible Stage provides a dedicated physical venue for programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Let Her Sing®: Annual flagship program celebrating female vocalists from around the world, affirming the right of every woman to sing, create, and be heard.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ cultural events produced supporting immigrant and diaspora artists
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFI facilitates pro bono immigration representation and resettlement assistance for international artists who are persecuted or censored. Co-presented the sixth annual Let Her Sing 2022 and collaborates on panel discussions and artist support programs.
• Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at SFSUmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing sponsorship for Let Her Sing events and collaborating on events related to Iranian diaspora arts and culture.
• Pars Equality CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented Let Her Sing 2024 in Los Angeles. Nonprofit providing social, legal, and economic support to Iranian-Americans and underserved immigrant communities.
• Iranian American Women FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for Let Her Sing 2025 Los Angeles presentation, supporting women artists and vocalists.
• Persian Cultural Center of San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for the first San Diego presentation of Let Her Sing 2026 at California Center for the Arts, Escondido.
• DocunightminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to offer Let Her Sing 2021 ticket holders free screenings of documentaries about female singers and adversities they face in Iran.
• Sausalito Center For The ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with AFI and DAC to present photography exhibition and panel discussion on the power of photography in defying censorship.
• Yalda MoaieryminorOthersPhotojournalist and 2024 World Press Photo Jury member whose photography exhibition 'Standing in the Dust' was presented at Sausalito Center For The Arts in collaboration with AFI and DAC.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Brava! For Women in the Arts: San Francisco-based nonprofit presenting theater, music, and performance work by and for women and historically marginalized communities. Highly comparable to DAC's Bay Area performing-arts-presenting model with a parallel women-focused programmatic lens.
• La Peña Cultural Center: Berkeley nonprofit cultural center presenting music, dance, film, and arts programming rooted in Latin American diaspora traditions. Comparable as a Bay Area nonprofit producing diaspora-focused live performance and cultural events.
• Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI): NYC-based nonprofit providing legal aid, resettlement, and advocacy for at-risk international artists. DAC's core partner with overlapping mission of supporting persecuted/censored diaspora artists, often through joint programming.
• Alwan Cultural Center: Community-based nonprofit presenting music, dance, film, and literary programming rooted in Arab and Middle Eastern cultural traditions. Directly comparable as a diaspora-arts presenter serving overlapping cultural communities.
• Asian American Arts Centre: New York-based nonprofit developing and presenting work by Asian American diaspora artists across visual, performance, and literary forms. Comparable as a diaspora-focused arts presenter and artist-support organization.
• International Arts & Artists (IA&A): DC-based nonprofit connecting international and diaspora artists with US audiences through exhibitions, performances, and cultural-exchange programs. Comparable mission of platforming diaspora and international artists in the US.

Broad incumbents

• Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA): Major San Francisco presenting institution for contemporary performing and visual arts. Comparable as a Bay Area presenting venue (and DAC's primary SF venue partner), but operates at substantially larger scale with a broader programmatic remit.
• National Performance Network (NPN): National network of performing-arts presenters and artists supporting the creation and touring of new work. Comparable as a US performing-arts-presenting ecosystem player, with relevant touring and peer-learning infrastructure.
• United States Artists: National nonprofit providing direct fellowships to US-based artists across disciplines. Comparable as a diaspora-artist-support funder, though operating at national scale and without DAC's event-production layer.

Regional players

• Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse: Berkeley-based nonprofit venue presenting world, folk, and roots music. Comparable as a Bay Area presenting venue and DAC's Berkeley co-presenting partner, but with a broader musical programming scope rather than a diaspora-arts focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCq2jow1gP6sDs3AL64AYXNg
• Facebookfacebook.com/DiasporaArtsConnection
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diaspora-arts-connection

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Diaspora Arts Connection